Internet Protocol (IP) networks connect network devices or nodes, such as routers, switches, firewalls, etc., using communication channels, such as data transmission media including optical fibers, coaxial cable, satellite links, etc. Network administrators typically use an inventory system to keep track of their IP network devices and how they are inter-connected. This inventory system can be a sophisticated software solution, such as Telcordia® Granite Inventory, or a simple spreadsheet. The specific system depends on the size of the network, its complexity, and its importance to the organization's business.
Most network devices generate and provide real-time data documenting their own status. Examples of this data include interface up/down status, packet delay and loss rate, network element load, routing/forwarding table, and alerts/alarms. Such data can be provided by the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and can accord with Management Information Base (MIB-II) data for use with network management protocols in TCP/IP-based internets.
Configuration managers or configuration management provide information regarding the network configuration. Such systems include data documenting and/or describing the inter-connections among network devices. A variety of software products are available to assist a network administrator with configuration management.
Efforts to provide assurances that a network is secure and in compliance with policy are described in applicant's commonly-owned, co-pending application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/900,674. This application discloses a system and method for IP network policy compliance assessment using a non-intrusive, rigorous methodology.
However, current systems merely maintain an inventory of the network devices and their inter-connectivity, and/or assess whether the network is secure and/or in compliance with specific protocols. There is a need for a system and method that provides resource management capabilities to not only improve network security, availability, and regulatory compliance but also to maximize the performance of the network system components.